California is about to breeze into the 2026 gubernatorial race, and if you could pick any of the current candidates from the police lineup, you either work in Sacramento, have an unhealthy obsession with state politics, or both.
This is not to blame anyone running to succeed term-limited Gavin Newsom on criminal behavior. (A criminal record is not necessarily a disservice these days. Just look at our president-elect.)
By contrast, those vying to be California’s 41st governor aren’t exactly a celebrity bunch. If they form a support group, they can call it “Anonymous Candidates.”
According to records, those officially running are former Speaker and Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins; Stephen Cloobeck, a Southern California philanthropist and businessman; Eleni Kounalakis, the state’s lieutenant governor; Tony Thurmond, California Superintendent of Public Instruction; Antonio Villaraigosa, former mayor of Los Angeles; and former state controller Betty Yee.
There are rumors that others may also be in the running. Atty. General Rob Bonta is mentioned often. Former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter admitted she is paying attention to the race. Vice President Kamala Harris, one of the top possibilities, has done nothing publicly to fan or tamp down speculation that she might join after leaving office later this month.
But even the well-known Harris and Porter are nowhere near as powerful as Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger, two of the most famous boldfaced figures to be elected governor of California.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Even remote disqualification.
In fact, contrary to California’s glamorous image, Reagan and Schwarzenegger were at the top of a long line of drab, boring candidates for the state’s highest office. Think of George Deukmejian, Pete Wilson and Gray Davis, whose public personas were best represented by bold strokes of beige, taupe and gray.
Even Jerry Brown seemed calm as he returned as governor 36 years after he was first sworn in. (There were no trips to Africa with Linda Ronstadt or quixotic tilts at the White House during his second run.)
“There’s a perception that Californians are obsessed with movie stars and TV stars, and to some extent that’s true,” said Garry South, a Democratic strategist who twice helped elect Davis as governor. “But I don’t think that view really accurately reflects how California voters view politicians.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger won his first term as governor under the unique circumstances of a recall election.
(Mark J. Trier/AP)
State voters have proven to be far more pragmatic than their signature-chasing, Hollywood-worshipping stereotypes.
Gale Kaufman, another veteran Democratic strategist, has participated in numerous focus groups. Whenever voters see a celebrity’s name — speculation about this or that celebrity running for governor is a staple of California campaigns — “they immediately go to the next level and say, ‘Okay, they What will happen? Do Be governor?
This shows that voters are not as excited by the shiny stuff as the political mentioners thought.
It should be said that Schwarzenegger was elected under special circumstances in 2003, and the campaign was significantly shortened, lasting only a little more than eight weeks. The fleeting time frame gives the movie superstar a unique opportunity to use his fame and popularity to swoop in to unseat Davis — who was recalled by voters on the same day.
It’s also worth noting that Schwarzenegger isn’t exactly a political novice.
He was connected to the Kennedy family through his marriage to Maria Shriver, and he served as chairman of the Committee on Strength and Physical Education under President George H.W. Sponsoring a statewide ballot measure promoting after-school youth programs made him a member of the Kennedy family.
Reagan had largely ceased being an actor by the time he ran for governor, but by the time he ran for governor in 1966, he had a longer and more comprehensive political resume than even Schwarzenegger. Even so, the uneasy atmosphere brought about by the Watts riots, widespread campus unrest, and voter fatigue gripping Edmund G. “Pat” Brown, the father of now-President Jerry Brown, gave Reagan a Very helpful.
Despite the success of the two actors-turned-politicians, campaign experience is important in California, a vast and unruly state with more than 22 million registered voters. With the exception of Schwarzenegger, every candidate since Regan had successfully run for statewide office at least once before being elected governor.
“It’s easy for outsiders to think we’re celebrity-centric because of what they see in Hollywood, movies and television,” said Mark Bandassare, who has spent decades surveying voters. opinion, now directs the Institute for Public Policy’s investigation. “But the reality is, this is a big state to govern, and unless you’ve been in an election before, it’s hard to win.”
No one, least of all your friendly political columnist, knows what 2026 will bring.
It wouldn’t be surprising if California voters elected an incumbent governor with no Hollywood looks, no flash, or no obvious national ambitions — just as the sullen Dirk Mejian followed the flamboyant Brown, who took over Super Schwarzenegger.
None of the candidates currently running will attract tabloid attention or break any box office records.
It’s probably one of the best things they’ve ever done for themselves.
